Using what you have

It's important to realize that there are a lot of things in SQL Server that are built right in. I've spoken with many DBA's who are working the long way around a problem.

Sometimes when you face an issue you need to fix it quick - just jump right in and find out the fastest way to the solution. You don't have time to learn all the ins and outs of the product. But when you do have time - say, before you're in a crisis - you should take a minute or two and dive into the documentation and experiment on a test system or two. I've described how to make a testbed of your own, and you should defintely use it with some sample data to learn what to do - before a critical problem pops up.